Red Foxes in Ontario

[DVXDUDE]

My family has lived on the same 150 acre property for the past 50 years. We hunt all surrounding properties also and we all noticed the decline of foxes in the last 10 years or so. I've seen 2 foxes this year, both off our property, both at night crossing the highway. No one else has seen any, including our neighbours. I noticed that I can shoot foxes all year long here like coyotes (i'd let the fox walk though). Does anyone else see many foxes? I think they shouldnt let foxes be hunted for a couple years see if their numbers will improve.

Maybe its differnet in other parts of ontario, but i walk through some real THICK bush and never find tracks or anything. Its not like our coyote population is huge either and driving the foxes out. The fox is my favorite animal and its a shame I never get to see any.

what are other parts of Ontario like?

 

[667]

Redd Foxx.???
In Ontario... I thought he was dead...?

Oh.... you said red foxes... sorry

 

[colinjw]

Maybe the fox numbers are declining because people are shooting them.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Foxes, like the rabbits and squirrels they prey on go in cycles. They will return, when the food returns.

 

[The Baron]

When the coyotes move in thick, the red get pretty thinned out. That's what's been happening in S. Ontario for the past decade or so.

 

[Red foreman]

X2 I rarely see any foxes anymore around here.Tons of cototes though.Same goes for the rabbits.

 

[DirtyGun]

I saw a fox three times from the stand this season, but I'm pretty sure that two of those sightings were the same one. He had the same markings on his tail. I've seen more in previous years.

As for coyotes...50% of the times I went out they were around.

 

[dumbdawg]

I saw a good sized fox this fall at Tritons camp.First one i've seen in years

 

[LeePeterson]

I've seen 3 in the last 2 weeks. But the coyotes are out of control, I've seen lots in the daytime just standing in feilds sometimes in pairs. I think thats why there less foxes to many yotes eating there food and them maybe.

 

[svt-40]

I did seen two red foxes last year, and I live in the Brampton North-West subdivision, so I am in town. Maybe the foxes moved from the farms to the city?

 

[7.62mm]

Where I am, close to London, ON., the Fox is making a come back. This year I saw way more Fox than Coyote. I am pretty good friends with the Huntsman for the London Hunt Club, they use hounds and horses to hunt, and he said this year there were more fox than yotes. The past 6 -8 years has mainly been yotes. Seeing a lot more Cotton Tails around here too, which I think helps the Fox population

 

[sms0000]

I've seen 3 since summer.....and lot's of tracks in the snow.

 

[12magnum]

see a fair few fox north of kingston, but the yotes are going way up to. there seems to be quite a few rabbits cotton tails, jacks and snowshoes around here. but as stated earlier, we hear the yotes every morning bow hunt and every evening and at night and it doesn't seem to matter where you are. happy new year

 

[Claybuster]

We had a fox den back on our property a couple of years ago but it's been vacant the past two seasons. It was neat watching the kits play around.

Foxes are good to have around because they keep the mice/vole/mole population down. I've seen a couple foxes along the side of the road lately going back and forth to the club but not nearly as many as in past years. The coyotes however are on the upswing through most of Southern Ontario and that probably accounts for the reduced fox numbers.

 

[beretta boy]

Coyotes & Foxes "don't get along". The coyotes tend to displace the fox population (those that they don't kill).

Have been seeing more fox of late around my place ... just maybe because I've been doing my bit in "displacing" the coyote population ! ( 25-06 lead poisoning ) Individuals of the barn cat population also seem to be enjoying a little more longevity. Very few problems during late winter-early spring calving the last few years too.

Surprise, surprise ... I've also been seeing the odd jack rabbitt from time to time. Maybe even the groundhog population may rebound. ( Haven't seen one on or in the nearby surrounding area for at least the past 10 years ! )

 

[Pathfinder]

I see them all the time, there have more this year and subsequently less partridge to around for us uplanders.....

The locked out workers at the local osb mill were feeding one yesterday on the side of the road, looks like they found a mascot.

 

[Bart212]

They're around esspecially around farms with out door farm animals.

 

[sbound]

I saw about 3 or 4 around our Muskoka cottage this summer. In my travels this fall in Northern Ontario near Armstrong we saw all kinds of them.

 

[tracker]

Back a long time ago we had a lot of red foxes and no coyotes. Now we have a lot of coyotes and a few foxes. The two do not play well together and the foxes always lose. I have yet to see a fox while coyote hunting this year. We do see some when the mating season starts but not many.

 

[gth]

More coyotes in S. Ontario= Less fox.

Also people cleaning up or clearing land around you might have reduced the amount of bunnies locally forcing the fox to leave or starve.

We have hardly any coyotes here in N. Bay and loads of fox. I called in 4 fox in 4 stands this weekend. One didnt offer a shot, missed 2 and got a nice large male.

I see fox all the time, probably the animal I spot the most while out travelling around. It doesnt hurt that the snowshoe population must be damn near at its peak this year.